Manifestos!
The majority of published design history and theory takes a narrow western perspective. While this history is significant to our contemporary design lineage, let’s pause to take moment to consider that in the history of design, not every story gets told.
Over the next few weeks we will be exploring the history of design and trying to incorporate voices often absent from the history books. We will be looking at the lack of diversity in the history of the American design field and exploring some ways young designers can influence the design field. One way is writing about your work, your process, and what you believe in; something designers/artists have been doing for hundreds of years.
Now we will look at some of the manifestos and writings created by designers who demand that the field of design (and worldwide culture) change direction.
Graphic design was in its infancy in the early 20th Century, and the artists and designers of the early Avant-Garde were laying the foundation for the field amidst worldwide upheaval and technological and social change. Like the artists and designers of the Avant-Garde, we as designers are called to address some of these same issues: the nature of communication, globalization, gender politics, and the representation of power. Add to that a recent worldwide pandemic, wars, economic and racial inequity, and climate change. We have a lot going on to drive that passion for change.
A Designer’s Social Responsibility
…Designers who devote their efforts primarily to advertising, marketing and brand development are supporting, and implicitly endorsing, a mental environment so saturated with commercial messages that it is changing the very way citizen-consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact. To some extent we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse.
There are pursuits more worthy of our problem-solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention. Many cultural interventions, social marketing campaigns, books, magazines, exhibitions, educational tools, television programs, films, charitable causes and other information design projects urgently require our expertise and help…
First Things First Manifesto 2000
In a 1994 essay in Eye magazine, Andrew Howard reminded designers about the 1964 manifesto entitled âFirst Things Firstâ signed by British designer Ken Garland and a group of 21 colleagues. The manifesto’s aim was to “reject the âhigh pitched scream of consumer sellingâ and omnipotent lure of the advertising industry in favour of what was defined as socially useful graphic design work.”
Several years later, thirty-three designers renewed the original call for a change of priorities and published ‘First Things First Manifesto 2000‘ in Adbusters, Emigre,  Eye, Blueprint, Items in the Netherlands, and Form in Germany.Â
In 2014 â on the 50th anniversary of the manifesto â over 1600 designers across the world renewed their commitment to the manifesto.
In 2020 an updated version, FTF 2020, was published online and included a focus on the climate crisis and racial justice. âOur time and energy are increasingly used to manufacture demand, to exploit populations, to extract resources, to fill landfills, to pollute the air, to promote colonization, and to propel our planetâs sixth mass extinction.âÂ
Check out this short 2:30 min video of David Berman, author of Do Good Design. Bermanâs main thesis is: “Rather than sharing our cycles of style, consumption, and chemical addictions, designers can use their professional power, persuasive skills, and wisdom to help distribute ideas that the world really needs: health information, conflict resolution, tolerance, technology, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, human rights, democracy ⊔
It is time to think again about designâs social function and the way it is determined by our culture.
1994 Eye magazine, Andrew Howard
Manifestos in History – Collections
Let’s take a look at some design manifestos from various artists/designers/poets and movements over the years:
Manifestos – Art History Project
- Paragone of Poetry and Painting, Leonardo da Vinci, 1500
- Manifesto of Futurism 1909
- Dada Manifesto 1918
- De Stijl Manifesto, 1918
- Who We Are: Manifesto of the Constructivist Group,1922
Collection of Design Manifestos – Design Manifestos
- Inventionist Manifesto (1946) JoaquĂn Torres GarcĂa et al
- First Things First (1964 British designer Ken Garland and a group of 21 colleagues
- Black Designers – Missing in Action (1987), Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller (speaking here at City Tech next month!)
- A Cyborg Manifesto (1987) (Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century) Donna Haraway
- First Things First Manifesto 2000
Here are more recent manifestos to help you to consider your own:
- First Things First 2020
- African Life-Centric Design (2024)
- 100 Reasons to Love the Future (2024)
- Center for Humane Technology: Key Issues (2024)
- A Designerâs Code of Ethics by Mike Monteiro (2017)
- Ethical Design Manifesto by Indie Team
- Code of Ethics for professional designer by the French Design Alliance (2021)
- Good Fucking Design Advice (c. 2010) Pledge & Classic Advice
4. Write your own Manifesto!Â
After exploring the historical manifestos and more recent manifestos, your “reading Response” assignment is to write your own Manifesto in a comment.
Please include the following in your ManifestoâŠ
- Use short declarative statements in a list (or whatever form that works for you) to define the philosophy, intentions, and requirements for the designer of today.
- State the social, political, and ethical ideas that are important to you and necessary for a designer to consider.
- Identify the technological concerns that designers must embrace or reject.
- NOTE: If you prefer to create an illustrated or video Manifesto, please do!
Share & Comment
Add your manifesto in a comment in this post. If you prefer to create visual or video of your Manifesto, you can link to a URL, image, or video.
Using a nested comment, comment on at least one of your colleaguesâ Manifestos.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
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A Sustainable Design Manifesto
– Committed to the Planet and the People
1. Design Not Just for Sustainability, but for Regeneration.
I will give more than I take from an environment that has done nothing but bring me life. I will restore and not harm with my creativity.
2. Planet Before Profit
Only using materials that I know are recycled or can be recycled will allow me to better the future. I will use only ethically sourced and biodegradable materials.
3. Less is More
I will not over produce or become greedy. I will make sure my products are using as minimal materials as possible while creating a more sustainable product.
4. Compassion for All
I recognize that all things in life affect all beings, human and non-human. My choices will reflect compassion and justice for all species.
5. Treasure, Not Trash
I will not allow for throwaway culture. I will design products built to outlive.
6. Listen and Reflect
Sustainability isnât new. I will study and propagate the lessons of those who have been practicing sustainability for long periods of time.
7. No Need to Rush
I will create products not with heist but with reflection and care.
8. Live It
I will not only create with sustainability, but I will live it.
9. Every Choice
From materials to partners, I will only choose and work with those who share my ethical and sustainable beliefs.
10. Technology is a Tool, Not an Employee
I will not employ AI. My ideas and my products will come from my creativity.
I really appreciate this Sustainable Design Manifesto Taylor, itâs a powerful reminder that design isnât just about creating things but about responsibility to the planet and all living beings. The focus on regeneration, ethical choices, and thoughtful pacing shows a deep respect for the environment.
Your manifesto is super grounded and thoughtful. âTreasure, Not Trashâ and âListen and Reflectâ really stood out to me. I also respect your stance on not using AI and staying true to your own creativity. This feels really honest and meaningful. Thanks for sharing it!
Use short declarative statements in a list (or whatever form that works for you) to define the philosophy, intentions, and requirements for the designer of today. State the social, political, and ethical ideas that are important to you and necessary for a designer to consider. Identify the technological concerns that designers must embrace or reject.
My Designer Manifesto
Manifesto for the Designer of Today
Hi Brianna,
I enjoyed reading your manifest, I especially like the part about HAVING FUN. I think it’s something we often times forget to do while doing the work. I agree that we can never stop learning about those we serve as well.
My Commitments as a Designer
Be authentic, transparent and ethical in every decision made.
Watch the long term consequences from the decisions made.
Recognize and understand the needs and voices of others first.
Focus on the communities rather than personal interests or other agendas
Constantly seeking to learn, staying open minded, and committed to growth.
All efforts to profit from harm, manipulation or inequality will be declined.
Use technology to aid in protection and accessibility.
Prioritizing the needs and voices of the intended audience.
Maintaining no designs that mislead, exclude or cause damage to others.
Advocating and designing when it is required of me.
MANIFESTO
Always Design with Intent
Every choice has a meaning, make all of them meaningful.
Design Radically
Do not let your work be used to uphold an oppressive status quo. Push towards a better tomorrow.
Move Forward Together
Don’t isolate. Any feedback can help growth.
Work with the Earth Not Against It
This work is a privilege. Do not damage the environment in ways you can’t take back.(Looking at you generative AI)
Never Give Up
If something seems insurmountable, ask for help. If there’s something you don’t know, try to understand it.
My personal Desginer Manefesto
1. Design is responsibility.
2. Aesthetics must serve purpose.
3. Function and emotion are inseparable.
4. Design belongs to everyone.
5. Culture and design reshape each other.
6. Good design disappears until it’s needed.
7. Technology empowers, but never defines.
8. Sustainability is a duty, not a trend.
9. Solve real problems, not imaginary ones.
10. Communicate clearly, don’t decorate aimlessly.
11. Challenge assumptions, especially your own.
12. Design for inclusivity, not exclusion.
13. Research deeply, iterate without ego.
14. Evolve constantly or become irrelevant.
15. Measure success by impact, not just profit.
Every project should have meaning beyond just looking good it needs to tell a story or solve a real problem.
I use design to spotlight and honor communities I care about and have encountered greatness
I believe in vibrant colors and confident visuals that grab attention and donât fade into the background.
Design isnât just about facts or features, itâs about evoking feelings that connect people to the message.
I stay true to my voice and vision instead of chasing every new fad or design trend. (Minimalistic)
I focus on how real humans experience design, not just what will get clicks or likes.
Perfection isnât the goal ,honest, thoughtful work that grows and evolves is what matters.
I believe in constant growth and in giving back by sharing knowledge with others in the creative community.
Hard work is important, but so is taking breaks to recharge creativity and avoid burnout.
I bring fun and experimentation into my process because creativity thrives when itâs enjoyable.
Design should amplify voices that arenât often heard and create spaces for new stories.
Good design is about how people feel and interact with it, not just how it looks.
I believe great ideas come from listening to others and working together, not working in isolation.
What I create can influence how people see the world, so I design with care and respect for that power.
We all have familys too feed so when there is a clash of ideologies during the creative process you either do the work or give it to someone else.
Hi Jason, I like the list you’ve made for your manifesto, I especially like the Authenticity Over Trends. In the modern day with all the tools and sources of media that are surrounding us, it’s very easy to create something influenced by current trends. It’s important that we maintain a sense of authenticity and creativity in our designs.
I stand for representation; real, inclusive, and respectful.
AI may assist, but it will never think, feel, or care like I can.
I care about the planet. Design should never come at the cost of nature.
I believe creativity should challenge power, not just reflect it.
I design to make people feel seen, heard, and valued.
I donât chase trends, I build meaning.
And most of all, I design with heart. Always.